On November 17, 2017 Grappa released a compilation CD where Sigmund Groven is involved as musician and producer. Musician Johan Øian (1915 – 1978) was known to Norwegians as the radio orchestra pianist, but he was also a composer of 360 registered musical works, often music set to lyrics by poets and authors such as Hans Børli, André Bjerke, Thorbjørn Egner and Alf Prøysen. Øian’s most well known children’s songs include the music for classics such as Helene Harefrøken, Bolla Pinnsvin and Nøtteliten. The 52-track double CD Johan Øien – pianisten og komponisten gives you a broad insight into the artistic work of Johan Øian, as a pianist and composer of classical music and folk tunes.

Much of the music presented on the CD originates from the rich archives of national broadcaster NRK, while 17 tracks were recently recorded with Sigmund Groven as producer. Two NRK archive recordings with Sigmund and Johan Øian have never been released before; Melodie Beguine (1976) and Engelsk landsbystemning (“English village mood”, 1975). There are also two recordings where Tommy Reilly and Johan Øian join forces; Seventeen Come Sunday and Om kvelden (“In the evening”), both from Reilly’s album Colours of my Life (1967), the latter track being produced by Sigmund Groven. There are also 9 other tracks where you can hear Sigmund’s musicianship supporting Øian’s music. Finally, Sigmund contributes to the CD’s liner notes.

Fact of the Month:
Sigmund’s discography

Sigmund Groven is not only a master harmonica performer and a versatile composer, he is also an experienced recording artist. His discography now counts 28 albums, starting with Så spiller vi harmonica in 1975. That means a new album almost every 18 months for 40 years! His latest album is Tradition, a compilation of his finest folk music recordings.

Sigmund’s records span a variety of genres, purposes and musical formats. His back catalogue include soundtrack for TV and movies, music to poetry, collaborations with some of the finest musicians in Norway, recordings with major orchestras, evergreens and popular hits arranged for the harmonica, and of course several albums with his own compositions.

One example is Musikken inni oss from 1981, where Sigmund shares the stage with Arve Tellefsen, arguably the most famous violinist in Norway. Tellefsen is in his own right a prominent artist, having appeared with the Royal Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, The Hallé, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Welsh Orchestra, the Liverpool Philharmonic and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, and that’s only from his UK career. Musikken inni oss, meaning “the music inside us” offers nine original compositions by Sigmund and three folk tunes.

Coincidentally, 1981 was Sigmund’s most busy year in terms of records. That year he released two other albums, also collaborations, as he teamed up with poet Ove Røsbak and singer-author Geirr Lystrup for two albums based on poetry. On Kom sol på alle mine berg, meaning “let the sun shine on my mountains”, Sigmund Groven set music to lyrics by the poet Halvor J. Sandsdalen, with Geirr Lystrup singing and Sandsdalen performing 10 of his own poems. Sandsdalen, who often is compared to great poets like Jakob Sande, Vidar Sandbeck and Alf Prøysen, often used the population and nature of his home county Telemark as basis for his writing, which makes the link to Sigmund’s home area complete.

Fact of the Month:
2014 guest appearances

Sigmund Groven is a frequent contributor to other artists’ albums. This year he appears on these albums:

Kåre Grøttum – Nyanser i blått (Grappa)This album includes Printemps, composed by Grøttum and featuring Tommy Reilly and Sigmund as soloists. Kåre Grøttum is a composer, pianist and NRK jazz veteran, known for producing and directing numerous jazz broadcasts. He also has written music for string quartets and orchestra, film soundtracks and radio plays. He arranged the music for the hit TV series Jul i Skomakergata, won the Norwegian short film festival and written papers and essays about music, musicians and improvisation. Other musicians on his new album include Ingrid Bjørnov, Kåre Conradi, Tom S. Lund, Erling Wicklund, Knut Riisnæs.

Bent Fabricius-Bjerre – og hans musik (Warner Music Denmark)2-disc album with 32 titles by the Danish composer who in Norway is famous for composing Reodor’s Ballad from the movie Pinchcliffe Grand Prix. Bent Fabricius-Bjerre is a jazz musician, film and TV score composer, pianist, and solo artist with hit singles such as the Grammy winning Alley Cat, which sold over one million singles. The album includes Sigmund’s recording of the Pinchcliffe/Flåklypa theme song, on the album titled Norwegian Sunset.

Helene Bøksle – Godnatt, min skatt (Helene Bøksle AS)
Helene Bøksle is a Norwegian singer and actress. She has performed with artists such as Bjørn Eidsvåg, David Urwitz and Eurovision 1995 winners Secret Garden. She entered the Melodi Grand Prix 2011 with the song Vardlokk. Her genre of music is often a mixture of traditional Norwegian folk music and popular music, but on her new album she sings 15 lullabyes, inspired by the songs she sang to get her own son to sleep. Her album, which is Helene’s 4th solo album and recorded at Rolvsøy church in Fredrikstad, includes two songs on which Sigmund plays his harmonica.

Andreas Halmrast – Ei vinternatt innunder jul
Folk singer and songwriter Andreas Halmrast has not released an album for 40 years, but has now been collaborating with Mattis Myrland and Haldor Røyne for a new album inspired by country life and being a farmer. Sigmund contributes on the single Ei vinternatt innunder jul, a Christmas song which will be released in December.

Fact of the Month:
Sigmund’s busy 1981

In the year 1981 Sigmund Groven was a busy musician. He released no less than three album, which all coincidentally were collaboration projects.

Musikken inni oss (meaning “the music inside us”) was a musical collaboration with Arve Tellefsen, Norway’s most well known violin artist. Of the 11 tracks Sigmund composed eight of them. Three tracks were Norwegian folk tones arranged by Sigmund. This was Sigmund’s fifth overall album and his third collaboration.

On Kom sol på alle mine berg (Come sun, shine on all my mountains) Sigmund’s music supports Geirr Lystrup’s performances of poetry by Halvor J. Sandsdalen, a Norwegian farmer, journalist, poet, novelist, playwright and children’s writer. Lystrup is also a well known artist in Norway, primarily known for his folk songs and lyrics.

1981 also saw the album Lævandes dikt (meaning “living poems”) with music by Sigmund, based on Ove Røsbak’s 1978 poetry collection. Ove Røsbak is a Norwegian poet, novelist, children’s writer and biographer.